Published: April 08, 2009 09:26 pm      

Virginia authorities searching for double homicide suspect

BLUEFIELD — Authorities in Bath County, Va., notified the Bluefield Daily Telegraph on Wednesday that a $25,000 reward has been posted for information that leads directly to the arrest of a suspect on a March 21, double homicide in the kitchen of the Homestead resort in Hot Springs, Va.

Police named Beacher F. Hackney, 59, of Covington, Va., soon after the deaths of two of his supervisors at the resort — Ronnie Stinnett, 60, of Ashwood, Va., and Dwight Kerr, 39, of Covington, according to a report by Frederick Kunkle published March 23, in the Washington Post. The report indicated Hackney fled the resort on foot.

Special Agent Allen Brown of the Salem District of the Virginia State Police contacted the Telegraph to assist the Bath County Sheriff’s Department. “They are the lead investigators in this case,” Brown said. Bath County Sheriff Larry Norfleet was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.

Brown said that Hackney has Mercer County ties. Information contained on the wanted poster states that Hackney, “is considered armed and extremely dangerous. Do not attempt to apprehend.”

Contact the Bath County Sheriff’s Office at (540) 839-5300, the U.S. Marshal’s Office at (540) 857-2230 of the Virginia State Police at (800) 542-5959.

— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com